Rasmus Out, Schierholtz Added To Team USA

Rasmus suffered a left knee injury yesterday while at-bat for Memphis, which is being reported as a Grade I MCL sprain that will cause him to miss the rest of the season. Schierholtz, who played in the Futures Game but did not make the original Olympic roster, is the beneficiary, replacing Rasmus’ lefthanded bat with another lefty bat on a roster filled with righthanded hitters.

Schierholtz, 24, is batting .312/.358/.561 in 314 at-bats in the Pacific Coast League, but that still hasn’t encouraged the Giants enough to give him any big league time this season. Schierholtz puts the ball in play plenty, with a nice swing and just 49 strikeouts, but he’s not one to wait around at the plate, having drawn just 19 walks. Schierholtz should join Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler and Indians outfielder Matt LaPorta in the Team USA outfield, though LaPorta could also play first base. Schierholtz has a strong arm in right field, but Rasmus’ removal from the team clears the way for Fowler to be the team’s clear center fielder, where Fowler is an above-average defender.